Our Brother
by The Talemaster's Apprentice
Summary: When the turtles rescue a young, teenage boy with a hidden past but an open heart, they find a baby brother who completes their haphazard family. But when trouble strikes and all hope seems lost, how does this young boy, who's earned a place in everyone's heart, become their saving grace? Is his beautiful sacrifice for the family worth the destruction of their new little brother?
1. Chapter 1

**First. Ever. Fanfiction.**

 **Please review - critiquing encouraged.** **I have wonderful plans for this story so 'encourage' away.**

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"Mikey, how many times have I told you not to bring pizza on patrol?"

The guilty turtle froze, a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese and extra mushrooms halfway to his mouth, before turning to face his eldest brother. Leo sighed from where he was crouched on the rooftop, and stood up from where he had been surveying the streets, turning to face his orange-clad brother with a look of resignation.

"I count thirty-seven times – this month," a voice chimed in from above, as Donatello jumped from a cistern and landed gracefully next to Leonardo, a wide grin on his face. "Not including the times Mikey finds pizza in a dumpster and eats from there or the time he 'borrowed' some pizza from the Purple Dragons when they were busy facing off Raph. Including those, I think it's somewhere in the fifties."

Mikey raised an eyebrow at Donnie and smirked, "Oh yeah? Well, what about when I took the pieces of pizza you had hidden in your 'man-purse' last night?"

"It's a satchel!" Donnie snapped. "And that was you?! I thought it had fallen out when we were fighting off those gangsters!"

Mikey shoved the whole slice of pizza in his mouth and grinned as Donnie grimaced at the sight.

"Listen to me, D," he responded through a mouth full of pizza, "It's. A. Man. Purse. The purse of a man – well, turtle. A turtle purse. The turtliest male of purses in existence. And also, the pizza did _technically_ leave you when you were finishing off the guy with the baseball bat, but that's because I figured you were busy and my belly was going 'bleughge–'"

"Michaelangelo," Leo interrupted, clearing his throat loudly, causing the two younger turtles to look to him expectantly.

"No more pizza," he flat-lined. "Understand? No food beyond the lair or April and Casey's place. Now, we'll do one last sweep of the area and then head back in for the night. It's getting late. You two circuit that way and I'll catch up with Raph and meet you halfway."

With that, Leo flipped and landed on the next roof and began jogging towards where he last saw his red-banded brother, listening as, for the third time that night, Mickey challenged Donnie to a race. Noticing a flicker of red to his left, Leo changed direction and headed towards the roof edge, coming to a stop by Raph, who was carefully watching something in the streets below.

"What the shell's a little kid doing out wandering the streets this time of night?"

Raph's gruff voice echoed Leo's thoughts as their eyes followed a young, gangly boy walking through the alleyway below them.

"He's not that young. Looks about fourteen. Maybe he's lost?" Leo replied

"Ain't acting like he's lost. He's been heading dead north for nearly half-an-hour."

Leo only nodded. "I've got Mikey and Donnie scouting the area one last time, which should take about ten minutes – maybe fifteen if Donnie takes some time to strangle Mikey. We'll follow the kid and see where he goes until they join up with us, then we'll figure it out from there."

Raph lips twitched as Leo spoke.

"So, I guess Donnie found out that Mikey took his pizza last night mid-fight?"

Leo groaned and nodded. "Yeah. And Mikey keeps calling Don's satchel a man-purse."

"It _is_ a man-purse."

Leo paused for a moment. "Yeah, it is."

Raph exchanged a look with Leo as a laugh from the alleyway below echoed up to the roof. The brothers immediately turned to the source of the sound and saw a group of Purple Dragons blocking the mouth of the alleyway, preventing the boy from leaving.

"Goin' somewhere?" one of the goon's sneered.

The boy looked up from the ground, clearly surprised to see people in front of him. "Huh?" he blurted, looking around in confusion.

The Dragons exchanged glances and began stalking towards him, grins evident on their brutish faces.

"Where's ya mommy, boy?" a lanky dragon sang, cracking his knuckles.

The teenager stopped in his tracks, eyes wide and hands shaking. "I–I was just going home," he replied. "Leave me alone," his voice cracked as he stumbled over his feet, backing away from the men before him.

Leo was furious. And if Raph's growls were anything to go by, he was just as angry. Picking on a helpless, teenage boy unprovoked was below even the Purple Dragons – or so they had thought. Signalling at Raph, the two turtles unsheathed their weapons and made their way down the fire-escape.

The young boy had his back to the wall, watery eyes watching the Dragon's form a semi-circle around him.

"Cryin' like a baby, ain't he?" a short, tubby Dragon cackled. "You wan' ya bottle, baby?"

The men hooted amongst themselves as the boy cowered with his head down and hands in fists by his temples.

"Oi! Pick on someone your own size, ya losers!"

Raph's angry voice carried through the alleyway, announcing his Leonardo's presence towards the middle of the alleyway.

"Urgh! These guys, again! Get 'em!" the leader of the group ordered and pressed his forearm against the boy's neck, pinning the panicking boy to the wall.

The other Dragon's surged forwards, pulling various weapons from their pockets – a switchblade, knuckle dusters, even a baseball bat. Leo and Raph flew into battle; Raph working on taking out the majority of the Dragons and Leo heading towards to teenage boy, still pushed up against the wall.

Leo was watching the boy carefully as he worked through the throng of fighting towards the pinned teenager. Delivering a perfectly executed split kick to send two Dragons flying to opposite walls of the alleyway, and flipping over another Dragon whilst disarming him of his steak knife mid-air, Leo was making progress, but not fast enough.

Unaware of what was going on, but hearing the sound of brawling, Leo watched as the boy's terrified, tearful face morphed into a look of fierce concentration. Gripping the wrists of the man before him he used the wall for leverage and brought his legs to his chest and kicked out, sending the Dragon flying. Landing awkwardly, the boy regained his balance and careered over to the fallen leader. The leader's face grew red as he watched the boy moving towards him. Grasping for something in his pocket, the Dragon roared wordlessly at the approaching figure and made to stand up. The boy leapt forwards and dropped onto the Dragon's chest, his left knee digging heavily into the man's ribs, preventing his ascent and trying unsuccessfully to pin the man's hands by his side. Failing to overcome the man's greater strength, the teenage boy used his elbow to hit the man's temple with all his might – once, twice, three times – and the Dragon's arm's fell senselessly to the side.

Quickly reaching into the unconscious man's jacket pocket, he extracted what the Dragon had been trying to grasp – a vicious-looking hunting knife. Fumbling with the heavy blade at first, he managed a grip on the handle, whirled around to face the fighting, and threw it as hard as he could at Leonardo. Leo, mid-round kick saw the knife leave the boy's hand and deftly flipped to one side, landing lightly in a crouch. Turning his head, Leo saw the heavy wooden handle of the blade smashing into the temple of the lanky Dragon, fighting Raphael.

Raph spun around, irritation on his face as he glared at Leo for finishing off the last of the Dragon scum for him.

"I had it, bro!" he shot at his brother. Grumbling, Raph scanned the alleyway, checking for other threats, then froze as he noticed the teenage boy's wide eyes, flicking between Leo rising from a crouch in the middle of the alley, the bodies strewn at their feet, and himself, with his bruised knuckles and vicious-looking sai clutched in each hand.

The boy startled at the sound of Raph's voice, then whipped his to look at Leo as the turtle lifted his weapons to sheath them in their respective scabbards behind his shell.

"Oh my god!" he squeaked.

* * *

 **The Apprentice**


	2. Chapter 2

Of all his brothers, Raphael had a tendency to hate humans the most. Every night, he and his brothers would head to the surface and fight against humans whose sole purpose seemed to be to hurt and destroy. His family had their share of scars from the likes of Baxter Stockman and Agent Bishop – humans – who experimented them, then battled against them when they fought for their freedom. Humans started wars and created bombs and turned beautiful places, like Central Park, into their personal dumping grounds. Humans would lie in waiting and to rob, beat and injure.

Raph wanted to hate humans.

But then he remembered that April and Casey were humans. He knew that humans loved and cared for each other. Humans worked together to rebuild that which had been destroyed. Humans saved lives at the cost of their own. April and Casey had risked their lives countless times to help out the turtles, and they were _human_.

So, Raph conceded that he _sometimes_ hated humans, whereas his brothers were more positively inclined.

However, courtesy of his solo trips to the surface, Raphael actually saw a lot more of the bad side of humans than his brothers did. He knew the exact number of times he had ripped a man off a screaming woman only to have her see him and run away screaming about a 'monster'. To be thought of as more monstrous than the _rapists_ he had saved those women from was a dagger to the heart.

So, rather than resent humans entirely, Raphael worked towards stealth, most notably his disappearing capacity, which surprised his brothers who knew he fancied less of the subtle, and more of the gun-ho ninja attitudes. He would always be around to help those who needed him, as was his duty as a ninja, but he would never be around for a second more than that. His brothers, similarly, liked to leave the scene as soon as possible, just to save the anguish of seeing someone running and screaming, but none more so than Raphael.

So when the red-banded turtle and his older brother stood in a New York alleyway, surrounded by unconscious Purple Dragons, before a white-faced teenage boy whose first reaction was the squeak in fear, Raph steeled his emotions for another tally to the 'monster' count.

"Oh. My. Gawwd!" the boy enunciated, staring at the bodies before him.

Leo, knowing Raph's aversion to sticking around, took in his carefully blank face and gave him a side-long glance, silently signalling to disappear.

Raph nodded, melting back into the shadows.

"Where do you two think you're going?!"

The abrupt question shocked the two turtles, and they shared a bewildered glance before looking to the teenager before.

"I'm fairly sure that was the best throw I've ever thrown in my life! Oh my gawd, and it was a _knife_ which is so much cooler than, like, a football! I definitely deserve some high-to-the-five goodness. I mean, yeah you guys were amazing, but you seem to know what you were doing and I totally threw a random knife and it didn't, like, go backwards or anything!"

Raph turned to face the kid fully, completely baffled, watching as the kid before him waved his hands around in front of himself enthusiastically as he spoke, an unguarded smile gracing his features. Taking a minute to gather himself, the boy ran forward, grabbed Raph's uncooperative hand and clapped it against his own before skipping back in place.

"Whoohoo, high five to us! So, do you guys live around here? 'Cause boy-oh-boy do I appreciate you sticking your heads out the window to see my miserable butt about to get kicked to Timbuktu. It's always a good day when your butt doesn't see Timbuktu – in fact, I would say it's a _perfect_ day if Timbuktu remains nothing but a myth to any and all butts. In that case, from everywhere on Earth _except_ Timbuktu, my butt says thanks to you two."

Leonardo snorted, and Raph's head jerked to face his brother, expression stunned. Despite the genuine shock and confusion that Raph had experienced in the past ten seconds from this random kid, 'Mr Perfect/Sensei-Junior' _snorting_ was more than his brain could handle, apparently.

"Your… _butt…_ thanks us?" Leo slowly clarified, ignoring Raphael's stunned face staring at him open-mouthed.

The kid nodded sagely, then added with a cheeky grin, "And very sincerely, too, might I add."

"Well then, your… _butt_ is very welcome, I guess," the blue-banded turtle replied, with a slight grin. Leo gave a funny look to the grinning boy before him, then looked to Raph beseechingly, not seeming to know where to go from here with the conversation.

Saving Raph from having to conduct a lesson in social courtesy was a distant squeal that the two turtles knew could only belong to one person.

"Haha! Suck it, D! I am the almighty, and still reigning Turtle Racing Champion!"

"Mikey, I swear if you don't keep it down, I'm going to muzzle you!"

"Sore loser! You're just a sore looo-ssaaaahhhh!" Mikey sang back.

Following Leo's line of sight, the teenage boy looked over his shoulder and squinted up at the rooftops, seeking the source of the commotion. Seeing nothing but some fleeting shadows which he quickly brushed off as a figment of his imagination, the young teenager was actually still looking up at the roof by the time Donnie and Mikey had jumped down and joined Raph and Leo in the alley.

The two younger turtles were speechless. Seeing the bodies strewn in the alley, they reacted without thinking and leapt down from the roof, scanning the area for potential threats, and seeing only one human before them. A single look from Leo, however, made them sheath their weapons and the two youngest shared a confused look. Here were Raph and Leo, respectively the most obsessed with hiding from humans and ninja stealth, standing and maybe even _talking_ to a random human, out in the open, in an alley, surrounded by unconscious Dragons. Mikey scanned the boy before him in curiosity as Donnie scanned his brothers for damage – particularly to their heads.

"I guess it was my imagination," the boy said eventually, beginning to turn around to face back around, "although I swear I hear–GAH!"

The boy before them jumped as he realised the number of turtles had doubled.

"Mitosis!" he blurted, before covering his mouth and with a small snort.

"Excuse me?" Donnie exclaimed, face incredulous.

Before him, the boy was outright laughing and pretending to fan himself.

"My goodness, you should _announce_ yourself before you join the conversation! I literally lost a good four months of my life – which probably doesn't sound like much, but it adds up, okay! I _so_ did not hear you come up and I turned around and there were so many of you and rather than saying hello like a _normal person_ I figured I would reference a reproductive mechanism, instead. My bad!"

Donnie had a funny smile on his face. "You know what mitosis is?"

The kid grinned, "I…might-osis!"

The purple-clad turtle grinned at the pun – science puns were his favourite! And also the least appreciated form of humour in his family. Turning to face his two older brothers, Donnie inclined his head at the boy.

"Who is this kid" he questioned, eyebrows raising as a sheepish look crossed Leo's face and Raph shrugged.

"Yeah, I probably would be able to answer that better than them anyway," the kid spoke up cheekily, "How about you try asking me?"

Mikey stepped forward, laughing and swung an arm over the kid's shoulder comfortably. "How about _I_ try asking you?" the youngest turtle asked.

"You could _try_ , I suppose," he replied with a mock-pensive look on his face.

"Then, what's your name, bro?"

The boy pretended to think about it, before grinning openly, "Nathaniel. Nice to meet you, butt and all," he stuck out his hand to Mikey, who shook it bemused, as Raph raised an amused eyebrow.

"Well, Nathaniel, meet my big bros; Donatello–super-nerd and genius extraordinaire. That's Leonardo–he's the eldest of us and the leader, and that ball of sunshine is Raphael –he's our party-planner and event's organiser," Mikey joked as Raph rolled his eyes. "And then there's me, the bestest, brightest, boldest and bravest of the lot – Michelangelo at your service for any and all liquid-awesome necessities," he finished grinning widely.

Nathaniel laughed and happened to glance at Raph, whose eyes were looking to the sky, mid-eye roll.

"Surely you would sprain something rolling your eyes that hard, Raphael?" Nathaniel teased.

"Nah," Donnie interjected, "his eye-rolling muscles get more of a workout than any other muscle in his body." Nathaniel did a once over Raph's well-muscled body and turned to the turtle wrapped around his shoulder.

"Man, you must be seriously annoying!"

Raph's face broke into a wide grin at that and Mikey pouted. In the distance, sirens were beginning to sound faintly, and Nathaniel watched as the blue-clad turtle tensed slightly.

"We should go," Mikey predicted in a high voice, just as Leonardo was opening his mouth, before shutting it sheepishly and glaring at Mikey.

Nathaniel laughed and looked as if he were about to say something consoling to Leo, before he pulled a strange face and began coughing heavily.

"Uh…you alright, dude?" Mikey asked when the coughing didn't cease after a several moments. Nathaniel nodded, and waved assent with his hand before bracing his hands against his knees as he bent over. Donnie stepped forward, squatting to look into Nathaniel's face as he was hunched over, trying to catch his breath between coughs.

"Did he hurt himself at all?" Donnie asked Leo and Raph as he began scanning the boy for injuries.

"No, I don't think so," Leo replied, "but he did take down the Dragons' leader before I could get to him. I didn't think anything had actually hurt him, though. Maybe a few bruises and a bit of a scare."

In the distance, sirens wailed, gradually getting louder as they got closer. Leo shifted somewhat anxiously, looking over his shoulder, suddenly aware of how vulnerable he and his brothers were out in this open space.

"We _do_ need to go," Leo restated.

"We can't leave him here," Raph shot back, surprising Mikey as he echoed the younger turtle's thoughts.

"G-go," Nathaniel choked between coughs, his face red, but waving his hands and giving them thumbs up, as if that alone would send them on their way. Donnie, having done a once over, looked lost as to what was ailing the boy.

"We're not leaving him!" Mikey affirmed, looking from Raph to Leo. Leo looked to his two other brothers, who nodded in agreement.

Decision made, Leo motioned for Donny to carry the boy and keep an eye on him, and then for the turtles to head to the roof, stealth-mode.

Scooping up Nathaniel, Donatello winced at the coughs still wracking his chest. Looking down at the boy, Nathaniel didn't appear to be happy to be carried bridal style, but had enough sense to realise that he couldn't climb up a fire escape or leap across roofs the way the turtles were doing. Concentrating on breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth, Nathaniel tried somewhat unsuccessfully to bring his coughing under control. However, as the cool night air coupled with the rushing winds that increased in intensity up on the roof, his lungs and sternum began to ache in response, and Nathaniel was grateful for the shoulder his head could fall on in his exhaustion.

"Splinter is going to _kill_ us."

* * *

 **The Apprentice**


	3. Chapter 3

**Please review – this is my first ever Fanfic!**

 **Critiquing is encouraged.**

* * *

"Splinter is _definitely_ going to do some sort of damage to us," Mikey repeated in a whine, as he pulled back the hidden lever to reveal the entrance of the lair.

Leo absently patted his youngest brother on the shoulder, then turned to the purple-banded turtle. "What's his condition, Donnie?"

"Exhausted from that coughing. Possibly dehydrated and a little cold. I don't really see an immediate cause for alarm, but I'll be able to run a full medical now," the genius replied heading towards his lab, nodding thanks as Raph switched on the lights of the lab/infirmary before him.

Laying the sleeping boy down gently, Donnie went about gathering basic supplies as Raph stood in the doorway watching for a moment taking in the heavy bags under his eyes that belied his relaxed, peaceful face. Donnie turned to Nathaniel, brushing aside the dark bangs from his forehead and feeling his temperature.

"Is he sick?" Leo asked, walking up behind Raph to look in on Donnie working.

"No sign of a fever. But the coughing fit could have been caused by a number of things. Dust inhalation, trauma to the trachea, broken or splintered ribs, general irritation the lungs–"

"Wait," Leo interrupted, "he was pinned against the wall by his _neck_ when Raph and I were fighting the Dragons."

Donnie leant over the boy and carefully inspected his throat carefully, seeing if he had missed anything from his initial examination.

"There doesn't seem to be much, if any bruising. And by now it would be visible if it was serious enough to affect his breathing."

"Ain't that dusty either. It rained two nights ago," Raph contributed.

Donnie nodded. Reaching forward to carefully lift the boy's shirt and examine Nathaniel's ribs, Donnie's eyes widened as he saw a dark bruise curling around his side, extending from his back. Easily rolling the boy over to follow the line of bruising, Donnie and his two brothers stared as Nathaniel's back was fully revealed.

"That ain't from tonight," Raph stated gravely.

The bruise, whilst purple and angry at the centre, was yellowing at the edges and hugged Nathaniel's ribcage in an angry embrace. Raph was right – this was an older bruise. Remaining in what Mikey referred to as his 'Doctor Donnie mode', the purple-banded turtle was professionally detached as he gently felt each of his patients' ribs, checking for breaks or cracks, before gently rolling the boy back, and pulling his shirt back down, satisfied that there were no broken bones.

Leo placed a hand on Raph's shoulder, sensing the dark look on his face. Raph shook his brother off and walked away without another word, heading towards the dojo.

"Who would do this to him?" Leo asked softly.

"I don't know," Donnie answered, "but it might have something to do with the fact that he was walking around the streets of New York at one o'clock in the morning."

The familiar sound of fists meeting leather rang from the dojo and Donnie and Leo sighed. Raph's method of processing any and all emotions he had was to beat the stuffing from the boxing bag. Donnie mentally added ' _make new boxing bag_ ' to his to-do list.

"Yo, dudes, why is Raph hitting the dojo now?" Mikey asked as he entered the lab balancing a cup of coffee in one hand, his skateboard under one arm and a plate filled with grilled cheese sandwiches in the other hand.

Donnie groaned his gratitude and took the coffee from Mikey's hands, holding it with two hands to his face, inhaling its intoxicating smell. Mikey offered grilled cheese sandwiches to both turtles, who politely declined, then collapsed into a chair, eagerly making his way through the plate of food.

Donnie delicately sipped his coffee as he studied his computer screen and wrote out some notes.

"I'll run a few more tests in the morning and see how they come back. Just for the sake of being comprehensive, really, not because I'm worried about other matters," Donnie explained, more to Leonardo than Mikey.

"So, you've figured out the why he was coughing, then?" Mikey gathered.

"For now," Leonardo hedged, missing the scowl that crossed Mikey's face as he did so.

"Yes, we found some evidence for it, Mikey," Donnie elaborated somewhat, "but he needs to be awake for my other tests. Nothing is too urgent so I think letting him sleep is a good option."

Mikey stood up and stretched like a cat.

"Sleep actually sounds pretty good to me," he yawned, pulling up a more comfortable chair and lying back, with his legs stretched out in front of him. "I'm sleeping here. Don't let Raph sleep in here too – he snores!"

Donnie patted his little brother on the head.

"Night, bro."

And just like that, Mikey was asleep. Spinning back around in his chair to his computer screen, Donnie grinned at Leo.

"I'm going to be here for a while, Leo. He really is going to be fine."

Leo nodded, grateful for Donnie's words, and left the lab quietly, heading for the dojo. Inside, Raph was throwing his fists into the boxing bag fiercely, his back to the doorway. Leo bowed as he entered the dojo, purposely making extra noise so Raph knew of his presence.

Heading to the centre of the room, Leo kneeled then folded himself into the lotus position. Closing his eyes in concentration, and began mentally sorting through the events of the evening; categorising each moment and analysing the relevant information.

As he concentrated, Raph's fists increased in speed, becoming louder and angrier.

"How can you just sit there!?" the red-clad turtle burst eventually, whirling to face his brother, chest heaving.

Leo opened his eyes slowly, calmly, and looked to his fuming brother, unsurprised Raph was confronting him.

"Did you notice Nathaniel was crying in the alleyway?" Leo asked solemnly.

A glimpse of something flashed in Raph's eyes, but was quickly masked with angry irritation.

"Where are you goin' with this, Fearless?" he challenged, whirling back on his heel to smash his fist once more into the boxing bag with a furious growl.

"Listen, Raphael," Leo intoned. "Nathaniel _was_ crying. But then I _saw_ him stop and concentrate, then end up taking out the Dragons' leader. And then seconds from that he went from intense to sharing a high five with you. Don't you see?"

"Sure, Leo," Raph snapped. "He's emotions were so messed up he _somehow_ managed to look at me without freakin' the shell out. I get it, bro."

Raph's back was to Leo once more as he pounded the bag furiously. Unfolding himself from the lotus position, Leo stood up and walked towards his brother.

"No, Raphael," Leo admonished, "that's not what I'm saying. I think Nathaniel was playing the Purple Dragons – he wasn't panicking at all. It was a trick, although it's a bit of a bizarre strategy. He's not 'messed up', Raphael. He's _clever_."

Raph stopped attacking the bag and faced his brother accusingly.

"Oh yeah? Well, being clever didn't stop the kid from getting his ass handed to him by whatever loser did that to his back, did it," Raph challenged. " _Someone_ did that to him, Leo. And 'not panicking' didn't help him, then. And besides, look where being _clever_ got him tonight – out like a light in the _damn_ infirmary!"

Raphael's voice had risen to a yell, and he was standing toe-to-toe with Leo who calmly looked back at him.

"It's different now, Raphael. Now he has us," Leo stated confidently.

Raph scoffed. "Yeah? Well I _really_ wanna know who he had before us. I'd rip the–"

"–My _sons_!"

The two brothers whipped around to the doorway where their master stood, hands clasped behind his back, stern expression and bowed respectfully.

"You have something to share with me, it would seem."

* * *

 **The Apprentice**


	4. Chapter 4

**Please review! This is my first Fanfic ever!**

* * *

"So your blood pressure, and temperature are both fine. Your reflexes are good. Motor control skills functioning normally. Regular pupil dilation. Heart rate lower than average, but you're young so that's to be expected. I'll also need to test…"

Nathaniel watched entertained as Donnie dashed around the lab, really jabbering to himself, but under the pretence that Nathaniel was listening to what he was saying. Mikey, who sat by the bed, had been sneaking pop-tarts into the boy's hand for nearly ten minutes now. Every time Donnie's back was turned and the boy had been secretly munching on them. Nathaniel was pretty sure he'd lost at least four in the sheets somewhere.

"Everything seems fine, but I'm going to run a blood sample on you, just to be sure. Also, then I can add your details to my medical record and check for any underlying issues. And while that's running, how about a simple, light breakfast for you – buttered toast and some weak tea."

Mikey jumped up, tousling the boy's hair.

"You hear that, buddy? You'll soon be free," Mikey sang. "Just one needle and then you're outta here."

Donnie spun around eyes wide, as if he had forgotten Mikey was there. As Mikey stood Donnie's eyes narrowed at the handful of pop-tarts he was holding, looking suspiciously from them to Nathaniel, who was picking at the sheets next to him, face innocent. Satisfied with what he saw, Donnie continued his bustling.

"Well, when the needles come out, Mikey walks out," Mikey chirruped, walking out the door and stuffing one of the remaining pop-tarts into his mouth. "I'll get started on that toast and tea."

"Don't know why you would bother," Leo murmured from the doorway where he'd been standing as Mikey left the lab, eyes flicking from the pop-tarts to Nathaniel knowingly. Mikey grinned conspiratorially and popped another in his mouth. "Don't know what you're talking about, bro," he replied, and headed for the kitchen whistling.

Leo shook his head and crossed into the infirmary, sitting on the edge of Nathaniel's bed.

"Hey, Leo," the boy grinned. Leo felt his mouth grin back of its own volition, then he sobered as he readied himself to talk to Nathaniel.

"Hey, you little rascal. Look, now that Mikey's not here, there's something we need to talk to you about, Nathaniel," Leo began, looking at the young teenager before him. Donnie paused and turned around to face the two, his face carefully blank.

"I know what you're going to talk about, Leo," Nathaniel responded, looking Leo, then Donnie, in the eye. "My back. And if I'm judging both your faces right, you have made some less-than-cheery assumptions."

Surprise flashed across Leo's face. Of all the ways he'd imagined the conversation going, that was not one of them. Even Donnie stopped sorting through the various instruments he had collected in surprise. All the articles the genius turtle had read specified that defensiveness and a denial were common attitudes in victims of child abuse. Maybe he'd been reading the wrong ones?

"Well…yes," Leo replied, seeming a little lost.

"We want to know who did that to your back," Donnie took over. "Because a bruise like that is no joke, Nathaniel. It's some serious damage and would be causing you some serious pain."

"Well, I'm gonna give you some serious pain if you don't stop waving around that needle, Donnie!" Nathaniel shot, half joking, half serious, his eyes fixed on the rather large intra-venous needle Donnie had in his hand.

Blushing slightly, Donnie dropped the handful of instruments he was holding onto the table beside him.

"Sorry!" he squeaked.

With Mikey for a brother, he was well aware of how important playing 'hide the needle' was to ensuring a calm trip to the infirmary. Apparently that game was important to Nathaniel, too.

"Nah, you're good. I just don't wanna see how big it is, you know?" the boy explained with a small smile at Donnie, before turning to his older of the two turtles. "And I know what you're going to ask me, Leo. Yes, I got these bruises happened at my home. No, he didn't do it wasn't on purpose – it was an accident. And yes, I am absolutely fine. More than fine. I'm the finest I've ever been. Are we finished, now?"

Leo and Donnie shared a look.

"Nathaniel," Leo began slowly, "who the 'he' that did this to you?"

Nathaniel drooped. "No one," he answered looking at his hands.

"Is it your father? Because someone did it," Donnie countered firmly. "And you need to know it's not okay. Seriously, Nathaniel, no one deserves to get beat around."

Leo nodded in agreement.

"You can tell us, Nathaniel. We'll figure something out with you. You never have to go back again," he explained gently.

Nathaniel growled. "Well, I was 'never going to go back again' before you guys came along, anyway. So whatever. And the bruise was an accident – it's not what you think. In fact, it was mostly my fault, anyway."

"It's not your fault, Nathaniel," Donnie disputed firmly. "You don't have to defend whoever did this to you."

"Will you just listen to me?!" Nathaniel snarled. "Its. Not. What. You. Think. The bruise was an accident! Why aren't you listening to me?!"

"Alright, alright. It was an accident," Leo consoled. "But then why are you saying you can't go home?"

Nathaniel sat back, and hugged himself.

"Because," he mumbled petulantly.

"Because why?" Leo pushed.

"Because, because! Look, will you guys just leave it! I said I'm fine, so I'm fine! That's the truth!" Nathaniel glared at the turtles, before looking down at his sheets.

After a moment or two, Nathaniel lifted his gaze and took in the worried faces of the brothers. "Look," he sighed, detangling his arms and leaning forward to grab Leo's hand, "I really am fine. You just have to believe me. And I know how this looks and what you're thinking, but you're wrong and I'm telling you nothing, so don't bother. You just need to have to know that I'm fine!" he emphasized earnestly.

Leo and Donnie shared a look, then the elder reached down and enveloped Nathaniel's hand in his own for a moment, before letting go. Rising from the bed, he gave Nathaniel a once over, feeling a wave of protective affection rush over him.

"Very well, Nathaniel," Leo acquiesced. Nathaniel sighed and met his gaze with a look of gratitude. "Donnie stills want to get that blood sample from you, though, so I'm going to go see if Mikey needs any help with breakfast and you can come down to the kitchen when everything is finished up here."

With that, the blue-banded turtle stepped from the lab and headed for the kitchen, unsurprised by the large shadow by the doorway that trailed him as he headed towards Mikey in the kitchen.

"We gotta take care of him, Leo," Raph emerged from the shadows, a fierce look on his face. "He ain't got nowhere else to go."

"I know," Leo agreed simply, jumping down to the ground floor, "but for now, I think all he needs is some breakfast, to be saved from Donnie, and some time to process things."

Raph merely grunted from above.

"Once he gets more comfortable with us, he might be more forthcoming," Leo anticipated hopefully.

"Whatever," Raph muttered, scowling darkly.

The whistling that had been in the kitchen grew louder, and Mikey appeared from the kitchen, carrying a tray of toast and a pot of tea.

"Hey, bros. I made extra. Wanna come up and eat with Nathaniel and Doctor Don?" Mikey questioned, looking to his brothers.

Leo shook his head. "No, thank you, Mikey. I've already had breakfast. I was about to come help you, actually."

Mikey looked to Raph.

"I'm good, bro."

Shrugging, the youngest turtle continued to make his way up the stairs. "Okay, then. If you guys get a craving for dried out bread and gross tea, you know where to find it," he called over his shoulder.

Approaching the threshold of Donnie's lab-come-infirmary, Mikey slowed to listen as Donnie spoke to Nathaniel.

"There we go. Not so bad, was it? I'll just run this blood sample for a few hours and then we'll see if it comes back with anything."

"Thanks, Don," Nathaniel chirruped. "So, I'm free to go now?"

"Yes, you're free to go. Mikey should have your breakfast ready any min–HEY!"

Mikey heard a dull thud and the sound of feet slapping the cool floor, eyes widening as Nathaniel burst from the infirmary and ran towards him grinning. Grabbing Mikey's arm as he ran for the stairs, ignoring the crash as Mikey dropped the plate of toast and tea, he dragged the confused turtle behind him.

"Quick, quick, quick! We're about to be found out. Run!"

Mikey looked lost for a second, then squealed in understanding, jumping to the ground floor, leaving Nathaniel shaking his fist after him.

"Why, you limp noodle! You forgot me!"

Sprinting for the stairs, Nathaniel was jerked backwards as a large, green hand latched onto his arm

"Should you be running, kid?" Raph questioned as the boy strained against him.

"Yes! He's gonna…find out…and I was just…hungryyyy," he squeezed out, as he pulled and pulled and pulled with all his might to free his arm. "Lemme go…man! He's coming!"

Raph raised an eyebrow and listened as Donnie's disbelieving voice floated from the infirmary.

"What on earth is that kid do– Are they pop-tarts?! How did he– MIKEY!"

Donnie's roar boomed out the infirmary door, eliciting another squeal from Mikey that echoed through the lair. Raph rolled his eyes, a look of understanding crossing his face.

"IT WAS RAPH'S IDEA!" Nathaniel yelled out to Donnie, cheekily poking his tongue out at the stunned red-banded brother as he finally freed himself and ran away as fast as his legs could carry him. A look of horror crossed Raph's face as a murderous Donnie appeared in the doorway of his lab, storming furiously towards him shaking a handful of squashed pop-tarts at him.

Doing the sensible thing, Raph sprang to the lower floor, then bolted after the cackling boy.

"Get back here, you little…!" he began, bellowing after the hooting boy as he belted through the living room, pretending not to savour the warm sensation of affection spreading within his chest.

* * *

 **The Apprentice**


	5. Chapter 5

**Reviews would be amazing. This is my first ever Fanfic!**

* * *

Having cancelled morning practice with his sons following the events of the previous night, Splinter had spent much time in deep meditation, thinking over the discussion he'd had with his two eldest sons in the dojo the previous night.

In a rare show of camaraderie, the two boys together explained the events of the night; watching Nathaniel in the alleyway, the Purple Dragons' attack, the boy bringing down the leader, him high-fiving Raph, meeting Mikey and Don, the coughing, their mutual horror at the damage to the young boy's back, and the boy's overnight stay in Donnie's lab.

Splinter listened to his sons in silence, then dismissed them so he could meditate on their words. He _sensed_ something in his sons that he couldn't quite understand, and sought clarity throughout the night in meditation.

His eldest son, Leonardo, was a disciplined warrior. He strived to be the perfect student and best leader he could be for his family. He made his father proud. But, Splinter knew Leonardo's fixation on achieving perfection was destructive obsession. His impossibly high standards resulted in him very rarely, if ever, being truly impressed by something. His ability to master the most complex kata within one day was merely shrugged off as his duty, devising a clever strategy was just his training. With his brothers, he was always be respectful and proud of their individual talents and achievements, but nothing more. By focusing so intensely on being the perfect warrior, Leonardo had effectively forbidden himself from feeling proud of himself and his vast achievements, completely destroying his ability to feel impressed by anything.

Raphael, on the other hand, struggled with being overwhelmed by all the emotions he experienced. As a child, Raphael experienced his emotions so strongly that they became all too much to handle – when he was happy, he was truly ecstatic, when sad, he was downright devastated and when he was hurt, he was absolutely shattered. The sheer strength of his emotions, whilst a blessing, served as a burden, in that he couldn't control his emotions with the ease his brothers, particularly Leonardo, could. So, for the sake of gaining a sense of control, Raphael began to manage his emotions by forcibly converting all his feelings into anger. Anger was familiar. Anger was straightforward. Anger was easy. Thus Raphael, Splinter's sensitive little boy, became a teenager who would rather drown in his rage, than let himself _feel_. And nothing broke Splinter's heart more than his son who was scared of who he was.

So, following a night a deep meditation about his discussion with his sons, Splinter emerged from the astral plane with a quiet revelation that brought a tear to his eye.

In the course of one short encounter, the boy had done _something_ that broke Leonardo's walls down enough for him to be subconsciously _impressed_. And, more importantly, he had done _something_ to snap Raphael from his cycle of anger, so that, even just for a moment, his son could feel again.

It was such a minute change that even Raphael and Leonardo would not have realised. Only a father, knowing his children better than they know themselves, could pick up the tiny revelation.

Splinter rose from the lotus position, feeling at peace – just as the sound of Mikey screaming resonated through the lair. Sighing, Splinter listened as an unfamiliar voice yelled something unintelligible and the foreign laugher rang out clearly. Footsteps thundered up the hallway, gradually getting louder as they came closer, Splinter winced at Mikey's high-pitched scream sounded again.

Sliding his screen door open, Splinter stepped out and watched the back of his youngest son round the corner at the end of the hall. A small figure made to follow Mikey's path down the hallway, before a big green arm wrapped around his waist a lifted him clear off his feet.

"No! Nonono, I'm sorry, Raph! No, Raph! Raph, I'm sorry!" the figure squealed with laughter as he writhed to get free of the arm holding him captive. "It was a joke, it was a joke! No, argh – LEO help me!"

Leo's voice was smiling. "Nah. You're on your own."

Splinter walked to the doorway of the living room, taking in the scene before him. Raph was holding a skinny, teenage boy with one arm, and tousling his hair with his spare hand. The boy was bending as far back as he could to get away from the turtle's hand, trying, unsuccessfully, to push it away with his skinny arms, his feet swinging around in the air looking for a purchase.

Leo was standing in the kitchen watching the frivolities with a wide grin, and Donnie was looking down from the upper level by his lab door holding a…was that half a pop-tart? Out of breath, Mikey appeared by Leo, who grabbed him by the belt and pushed him towards Raphael in the living room.

"You're missing one, Raph," he joked as Mikey stumbled forward, stunned for a second, before springing away from Raph's grasping hand with a high-pitched shriek.

"Mikeeey, save me!" the boy panted, his hands now on Raph's shoulders and pushing his upper body away from himself.

The orange-banded turtle turned to face the boy gasping with laughter in Raph's arms, and put on a woeful expression. "I can't make it. But I'll never forget you!" he sang, wiping away a pretend tear and, with a delicate wave, bounded back to the kitchen. Only to flinch as a pop-tart exploded on the side of his head.

"What have I said about pop-tarts in my lab, Mikey!?" Donnie called from upstairs, a satisfied smile warming his face as Mikey wiped a smear of jam from his cheek and stuck his tongue out at his brother.

"Always blame it on Raph!" the boy called out cheekily, then yelled wordlessly as Raph began rub his knuckles on his head with a laugh.

Splinter felt his heart swell.

Raph was laughing. Donnie was out of his lab. Leo was relaxed and enough to enjoy the moment. Mikey was soaking up the attention he yearned for.

And they were all together.

"Sensei?"

The scene froze into a tableau. Then all eyes darted to where the old rat in the doorway.

The young boy saw his chance and wriggled free of Raph's grip, facing Splinter with a cautious smile.

"Hi. You must be Master Splinter," he greeted, voice ringing in the sudden quiet. "I've heard a lot about you."

"And I, you, young Nathaniel. Welcome to our home," Splinter replied nodding to the boy. "It would seem you and my sons get along quite well."

"Hell yeah!" Mikey interjected gleefully, earning a quick grin from Nathaniel.

"Michelangelo, I would appreciate some of your blueberry pancakes. The fluffy ones, if you will. I'm going to talk to Nathaniel in my chambers for a moment," Splinter said, gesturing kindly with his hand for the boy to follow him.

Squeezing Raphael's arm unconsciously, Nathaniel took a deep breath then followed the rat down the hallway and into his room.

Splinter closed the door to his private room quietly, and turned to face the boy who was, surprisingly, kneeling respectfully before his meditation table, head bowed.

"I have heard much about you, young Nathaniel," Splinter began as he knelt on the opposite side of the low table. "And it seems you have made quite in impact on my sons."

Nathaniel looked up into Splinter's eyes, the residue of joy from his moments with the four brothers fading into seriousness.

"They have had more of an impact on me, Master Splinter. Believe me. They were very kind and caring, when I needed it most. And still are now."

Splinter studied the now serious adolescent before him, trying to reconcile him with the giggling boy he had seen moments before.

"Master Splinter?"

The rat shook himself slightly, and met the now intense gaze of Nathaniel.

"In honesty and truth, with honour and strength it is my duty to inform you, as it is yours to gracefully receive, my words to the head of the clan Hamato."

Splinter's eyes widened and he straightened imperceptibly. Scrutinizing the boy before him warily, he matched Nathaniel's even tone and unflinching gaze.

"I do so gracefully receive," Splinter replied, completing the traditional Japanese formality. The only time he had ever heard such a formal invocation of the traditional Japanese greeting was many years ago, when he was a young student, at the Dragon Master's war council. And here he was, hearing it again from the least likely of people.

The serious boy before him nodded at his response, relaxing slightly.

"I apologize for my formality, but I need you to recognize the importance of this conversation. It is good to meet you, Master Splinter," Nathaniel smiled. "You and your sons have my sincerest gratitude for the kindness shown to me. And the kindness your sons wish to continue to show me. From what I have overhead, they are very eager to invite me to live here with your family," a momentary flash of delight in Nathaniel's eyes the only emotion he gave away, "and as much as I would be grateful for such arrangements, there are some things you and your family need to know about me, before you can make your decision."

The unnerving calm left Nathaniel's eyes, and his hands left his lap, wringing before his torso nervously. Splinter watched his actions, and got the sudden feeling that the boy was trying very hard to remain calm, so he said nothing, giving Nathaniel the chance to gather himself.

"I–I'm not…I don't….I've not been..."

Nathaniel sighed and looked to his hands.

Acting on paternal instinct, Splinter remained silent, his face open and understanding, giving Nathaniel the chance to draw strength and confidence from his countenance, then he lent forward and patted the boy's hand.

"Speak, young one," he calmed Nathaniel. "You are safe here to speak what you will."

Nathaniel took a deep breath and released it slowly.

"I am a lie, Master Splinter. Everything I am is dishonest. _Everything_. If I were to stay with your family, you would need to know that much of my time spent with you and your sons would be tainted by my deceit," Nathaniel explained, eyes focused intensely on the grain of the floorboards.

If Splinter was surprised, he didn't show it. Nathaniel's face, on the other hand, was warring between shame and determination as he confessed to the rat.

"What is it you are lying about?" Splinter asked.

Nathaniel straightened and shook his head, determination flashing in his eyes.

"I will not tell you."

Splinter's eyebrows raised slightly at the fortitude with which Nathaniel replied. Nodding slowly to himself, he sat back, fingers absently stroking his chin as he sat in thought.

"Then, _why_ are you lying, Nathaniel?" Splinter tried.

Nathaniel pondered this question heavily.

"It is protection," his words slow and very deliberate, "for myself and for several other people. My lying acts as a safeguard for them, and a heavy burden for me, but there is nothing you could say to convince me to tell you the extent of my lies. You just need to know they fill _every_ _moment_ of my life."

Splinter bowed his head in thought, Nathaniel unconsciously mirroring his actions. After a few moments of silence, the rat reached behind him and produced a pot of tea and two identical cups. Without a word, he poured the steaming liquid into both cups and placed the pot down with a soft _thud._

"Drink."

Nathaniel looked up with a small smile and reached for the cup before him taking a careful sip of the hot liquid. The two sat together in silence until they had both finished their tea.

"I will meditate upon this, young Nathaniel. And I suggest you should do the same. I sense a struggle within you that would benefit from peace and solitude."

Nathaniel nodded carefully and placed his empty cup before him, feeling Splinters gaze on him.

"Who are you?" Splinter pondered aloud, seeming surprised to hear the words leave his mouth.

"No," Nathaniel stated simply.

"No, you misunderstand me," Splinter explained. " _Who_ are you? I mean who is the _real_ you. Are you the boy who I saw laughing with my sons, this struggling, awkward teenager I see now, or the formal, Japanese-invoking adolescent who apparently is educated in the ways of ancient verbal traditions? Which face is your _real_ face, Nathaniel?"

Nathaniel pondered the question, figuring it didn't reveal too much about himself.

"I am all of them," Nathaniel replied after a moment. "Sometimes I am more one face than another, and sometimes I am all three equally. But they are me and I am them."

Splinter frowned. "Then which face is the one you _most_ identify with? You cannot expect my sons and I to come to a decision if we cannot be sure _who_ you are."

Nathaniel smiled. "We all have faces, Master Splinter. You have your father face, and your ninja warrior face, and your teacher face. Could you define yourself by only one of these faces? I don't think so. Without being a warrior, you are not a teacher. Without being a teacher, you are not a father. Yet without being a father, you would not be a teacher. You see? The face that I see now is a complex mix of father, teacher and warrior - what everyone sees of anyone is just an amalgamation of several different faces. So you cannot expect me to identify as just one."

Splinter placed his cup down before him, not looking away from the boy kneeling before him.

"Indeed."

Rising from his kneel, Splinter gestured for Nathaniel to stand also.

"I believe it is time for fluffy blueberry pancakes, don't you?

"Master Splinter...there is _always_ time for blueberry pancakes."

* * *

 **The Apprentice**


	6. Chapter 6

**Please review - this is my first fanfic!**

Again."

"Ke-yah!"

"Again."

"Ke-yah!"

"Right side."

"Hi-yah!"

"Higher."

"Hi- _yah_!"

"Yame," Splinter finished, bowing to his students before him. All four brothers straightened from their defensive stance and bowed deeply before their Master.

"Very good, my sons. You have performed well tonight. That will be all," Splinter dismissed the turtles with a small smile.

Leo nodded solemnly, before moving to the back corner to continue working on their newest kata - ever the perfect student. Raph shot his older brother a dirty look and made for weights at the other side of the room. Donnie simply straightened, smiled at Splinter and made for his laboratory where a broken toaster waited for him in several pieces. Mikey, on the other hand, received his dismissal much less elegantly than his brothers, and gracelessly dropped to the floor with an excessively loud groan.

"Sensei? Uhh…I have a question," Mikey started, raising his hand to get Splinter's attention from where he was sprawled on the ground.

"Yes, Michelangelo?" his father replied, looking to his youngest expectantly.

"How come you scheduled a training session tonight? You said before it was cancelled," Mikey asked, a petulant whine _slightly_ evident in his voice.

Leo, Raph and Donnie all looked to their sensei to hear the reply, having been thinking the same thing. Admittedly, they were more inclined to using a slightly more tactful approach to find out the answer, but Mikey's big mouth and lacking filter was an unexpected blessing at times.

"'Cause I had everything planned out, you know?" Mikey continued, looking to his brothers as he spoke. "I was gonna read the latest 'Silver Sentry' comics followed by a Star Trek all-nighter with the guys. And I was gonna make that fancy coffee for Don and cut up some fruit for Leo and make extra popcorn for Raph because he always ends up eating mine!"

Raph rolled his eyes.

Splinter looked down at his youngest son fondly as he addressed all four brothers. "I confess, my sons, I had not planned for this training," the smile in his voice slowly becoming more serious. "However, your young minds are fickle, and will slide into disarray very quickly without the discipline of training. Tonight, you will need a sound mind, and a sound mind comes from a disciplined body."

Leo, sensing the seriousness of the situation quickly, signalled at his brothers to kneel before their Master.

" _Hai_ , Sensei," Leo spoke evenly, speaking not as a son, but as the leader of his brothers.

"Does this have something to do with Nathaniel?" Mikey queried, softly, looking from his brothers to his father and back again.

"Yes, Michelangelo. You boys know that I spoke to Nathaniel in my chambers this morning."

The boys nodded their assent.

"From Raphael and Leonardo I knew the basic information of Nathaniel's injuries and his…situation…and believed it was best for me to discuss things with him, alone."

" _Injuries_?!"

Raph, Donnie and Leo winced guiltily as Mikey stared at the rat, openly uncomprehending, then a flash of understanding crossed his features and he glared at his brothers darkly.

" _What_ injuries?" Mikey repeated darkly, a growl rumbling in his chest that rivalled Raphael.

Splinter took in Mikey's dark countenance and his other sons' guilty looks. More than anyone, the ninja master could relate to the desperate _need_ to protect loved ones from the ugliness of society, but such actions were impossible in this flawed world and Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello's habit of hiding things from Michelangelo was beginning to _hurt_ his youngest son.

"From the findings of your brothers, Michelangelo, it would appear that Nathaniel is the victim of some serious abuse. He has stated that he will never return home and is adamant that his injuries are the result of an accident."

Mikey looked devastated at Splinter's words, eyes wide in horror and gleaming. "Your brothers strongly believe his bruises are the result of domestic violence, from his father or someone close to him, as he appears to feel a degree of obligation to protect whoever it is."

Mikey's face darkened and he sat silently for a moment before turning on his brothers.

"How could you _not_ tell me!?" he burst. "He's my friend just as much as yours!"

Leo faced his brother with a consoling look on his face. "This is some pretty heavy information, Mikey. We didn't want to upset you."

"Oh, well _thank you_ ," Mikey spat, sarcasm _dripping_ from his lashing words. "Now I am oh so calm and _happy_!"

The brothers flinched at Mikey's words, and Leo looked down at his hands, guilt flaring in his chest. Splinter watched his sons carefully, noting Mikey shrugging off Donnie's apologetic hand from his shoulder.

"What did you want to tell us, Master Splinter?" Donnie moved on, solemnly, not looking away from the scowling Mikey beside him. His little brother was so rarely angry, but it disrupted the whole family when he was.

"My sons, I know from what I have seen and what I have heard of you all today, that you would all happily accept young Nathaniel into our home, if anything, protest if he chose otherwise."

All his sons were now listening intently to what their Master was saying. Mikey, true to fashion, seemingly forgetting his anger.

"Of course he should stay, Sensei! That little dude is rad!" his youngest responded, eagerly.

Splinter held up his hand to ward off any further words from his sons.

"However, when I spoke to Nathaniel, he was of mixed opinion. I believe he wishes to stay. In fact, I think he yearns to stay here with u–"

"–So, he stays. Simple."

Surprisingly, it was Raphael's gruff baritone that interrupted Splinter's monologue. His arms were folded, set as firmly as his statement.

"No, my son. It is anything but simple. My discussion with Nathaniel was very brief, but very insightful. We all wish for him to stay. And my conversation with him led me to believe his heart wants to stay here as well. However, his words are that he shouldn't stay."

The four brothers shared a look of confusion.

"But he wants to?" Mikey clarified, looking stumped at Splinter's nod.

"So, what does he mean, sensei?" Donnie asked after of moment of hard thinking.

Splinter's ear twitched and Leo swore he saw him smirk, but it happened so quickly that he couldn't be sure. Splinter took a step back to allow the boys to clearly see the dojo door.

"How about you boys ask him yourself, my sons?"

There was a dull thud at the dojo's door followed by an small whine. " _Oomph_ \- awww, man!"

Raph snorted, eyes rolling as Nathaniel's sheepishly appeared in the doorway. With a quick bow, he entered the dojo, rubbing his elbow and making a big show of looking around the room.

"Wow," The young teenager began, "so this is the dojo? It's so big and pretty and I can't believe that I only _just_ found it now, as in this very second and not a moment sooner. It's so well hidden it's unbelievable I missed it. All this time and I've never seen–"

"–Yame," Splinter interrupted wearily, eyes laughing even as he shook his head.

Nathaniel jumped to attention, saluted with a grin, then knelt where he was, winking at Mikey who was about two seconds away from outright laughing.

Leo's eyes suddenly narrowed. Firstly, he did not approve of the blatant lack of respect for Master Splinter he had shown. Not even Mikey, who was undoubtedly the cheekiest of the brothers, had ever been so blasé about being caught eavesdropping on a private conversation. The ever-honourable Leonardo would never eavesdrop on a private conversation in another person's home, or show such disregard for being caught in such a rude act when caught. The lack of respect to Master Splinter irritated him.

But it was the second issue that disturbed Leonardo the most. Leo was not the leader for no reason. He prided himself on his ability to notice small details and insignificant nuances in people, a talent that had saved his brothers more than once on the streets of New York. And right now, he was furiously studying the kneeling Nathaniel who was, somehow, seated in a technically perfect kneeling position of a Japanese ninja student. It had taken a much younger Leonardo many hours to perfect the fluid descent, subtle hand positioning, the parallel ankles and sickled feet, elbows 45 degrees to the side and back angle (made harder with a shell, but he managed it) and here was a boy who did it without even thinking. Looking to his brothers, Leo know it couldn't have been imitation, because none of his brothers were seated correctly – Mikey had actually crossed his legs! Leonardo was slightly ashamed to admit that even _he_ wasn't in the correct position, but the combination of being tired from the night's activities and the unusual conversation had pushed it from his mind. There was something more to this kid, and Leo didn't like that he didn't know what it was.

"So what's the deal, then," Leo asked coldly, no warmth in his expression.

Donnie actually flinched at his eldest brother's tone, unsure why he was being so hostile, yet instinctively on edge. That was Leo's 'Fearless Leader' voice - and he only used it when absolutely necessary; like when versing the Shredder, or that time the Foot had knocked out Mikey from behind and none of them could reach him in the fighting, or when Splinter went missing.

Nathaniel seemed to recognize, yet seem unfazed by Leo's tone. Instead he looked up at Splinter and gave him an impressed look, to which the rat only nodded slightly eyes flicking to Leo for a moment.

As Nathaniel purposefully rearranged himself to sit cross-legged, Splinter found himself amazed by the astuteness of the boy before him, for the second time that day. It would seem the young teenager had not only realized the how his technicality caused a slip in his façade, but also inferred how his posture would be interpreted by Leonardo's thought processes, and then proceeded to actually _praise_ Splinter on the intellect his eldest son possessed and his intimate knowledge of traditional art of the ninja. All in the space of a moment.

"Very well, Leo," Nathaniel began, "I'll tell you my _deal_."

Leo's face was unmoving, his eyes set and calculating.

"My name is Nathaniel. I'm fourteen years old. I'm actually not from around here, this is my first time in New York – it's a lot cleaner than I thought it would be, actually. One time I ate a kilo of chocolate in four hours. I like swimming and Labradors and have a scar on my leg from when I was at my cousin's farm and I thought I could outrun an angry goat (turns out they're wicked fast). I have a family I love. I left them and then found you guys. You saved me from a bunch of serious losers and then some old bruises. I found out Mikey screams like a girl, that pop tarts are delicious and then I found this dojo...y'know, like a second ago," he added with a quick grin at Splinter.

Leo's firm mask had twitched a little at the reminder of the young boy's age and then again at his injuries, but had held fast - his suspicion lessening slightly only to be replaced by confusion.

Nathaniel sighed. "So, that's it, guys. That's me."

"Uh – I so do _not_ scream like a girl."

Raph ignored Mikey and unfolded his arms and kept his eyes on Nathaniel.

"So, what's that gotta do with why ya ain't gonna stay with us?"

Nathaniel appeared to steel himself, then met the red-banded turtle's eyes. "Because everything I just told you was a lie."

Silence.

"What?" Raph's confused voice lost it's gruffness for a moment. "What the shell does that mean?"

"It means that I can't be trusted," Nathaniel spat harshly, self-loathing contorting his features slightly, "It means I'm. A. Liar. It means that I'm a horrible person who is _never_ going to tell you the truth. You guys are a _family_ – and families don't lie to each other. That's what makes it a _family_. I can't come here and ruin that just because I left mine behind. I can't live here with you, because you guys deserve good people to be around, and as much as I want to be that for you – I just can't. I won't."

There was silence as the brothers' processed this information.

"What the hell do you mean by that? Why don't you just tell us the truth?" Leo asked, his steady voice belying his whirling thoughts.

"Yeah, we ain't got nobody to tell," Raph added.

"If anything, we're the best secret-keepers you'll ever meet," Donnie continued, gesturing down at his amphibious body.

Nathaniel shook his head. "I'm not telling you anything, don't you get that? I will _never_ tell you _anything_ that's completely truthful. All that I am is a lie. Besides, even if I do tell the truth, how will you know?" he paused for a moment, looking at each brother. "That's just it. You won't know. And could you live with someone who you couldn't trust? Whose every word is anything from a little white lie to the godzilla of all lies. I know I couldn't?"

The young teenager looked down at himself and saw he had unconsciously gotten back into the perfect kneeling position and groaned aloud with frustration before plonking his rear back down on the floor.

Leo watched the boy, absolutely baffled – what kind of person was annoyed by perfection? What kind of person was honest about being a liar? Who was it that knew the best of family life yet left it behind? Who the shell even thought of pretending to be scared to get the upper hand in a street fight? And, most importantly, who was he that he could communicate with Master Splinter with just a glance?

Seated by his big brother, Mikey was had given up trying to figure out Nathaniel's situation – that sort of hard thinking was for Leo and Donnie. Instead, he focused on the human before him, taking in Nathaniel's steeled eyes, the determined set of his brow, his lip being drawn into his mouth as he bit down on it and the slump of his shoulders. As far as Mikey could tell, Nathaniel's emotions were warring between determination and defeat.

"Nathaniel?" Mikey asked, waiting several moments for the boy's eyes to meet his, before stating simply, "I want you to stay."

Raph grunted assent. "You're just a little kid, mate. And even little lying kids don't deserve to be kicked out on the street to get beat up...again."

At his words, Leo and Donnie ignored any residual concerns and nodded agreement.

"So," Mikey continued, problem-solving, "how about, rather than lying, you don't say anything? Or you rephrase it?" Mikey asked suddenly, his voice slicing through the tension.

Nathaniel face remained unmoved.

"How...what do you mean by that?" Leo asked, surprised at his youngest brother's calmness.

"I mean, if we ask you a question and you don't want to tell the truth, how about you just say 'I can't say' or only tell the truthful bit?"

"Yeah," Raph agreed, "like if I ask you 'what's your last name?' and you just say nothing or just say, 'I can't tell you' or even say something like 'I tell people it's Smith'. That way you haven't lied, or if you have, we know it's a lie."

"And, you wouldn't still be here if Splinter thought you were really a bad person," Donnie piped up logically.

"So what, you're going to get the world's biggest friggin' liar to live with you?" Nathaniel snapped acidly. "Everything I say won't be the truth. Everything you know about me will be wrong. You have no idea who I even am. I'm not even real - I made _me_ up! Are you guy's nuts?! I just told you what I'm doing and you're still gonna let me stay?"

The four brother's exchanged a glance with each other.

"Yes."

Nathaniel's defensive-anger mask began to crumble. "Aren't you going to at least ask me why I'm lying?"

The turtles exchanged looks with each other.

"Kid, we're a family of ninjas, who live in a sewer, fight gang members, ninjas and literally all other things that go bump in the night. We are also mutants subject to being kidnapped and tested on, _and_ we have a Leonardo," Donnie explained with a grin, as Leo rolled his eyes. "We know what protecting family looks like."

 **The Apprentice**


End file.
